Search.gg virus (Removal Guide) - updated Oct 2018
Search.gg virus Removal Guide
What is Search.gg virus?
Search.gg – a browser hijacker that might share the gathered information about you
Search.gg is a bogus search engine that people see once their Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Safari browser gets hijacked by a potentially unwanted application.[1] These dubious apps are typically hidden in software bundles of shareware or freeware, hence users rarely notice the infiltration. Nevertheless, once inside the system, Search.gg will modify browser settings and set homepage, search engine and new tab address to hxxps://search.gg, which will redirect all searches to Yahoo. While many might find this behavior acceptable, only a few would be happy about secret information gathering and sharing, potential malware infiltration and the intrusive advertisement techniques used by the app.
| Summary | |
| Name | Search.gg |
| Type | Browser hijacker/PUP |
| Developer | Search Engage Ltd. |
| Affected browsers | Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, etc. |
| Distribution | Software bundling |
| Symptoms | Altered search settings, intrusive ads, compromised search results |
| Elimination | Use security software or eliminate the PUP manually using our guide below |
| Optimization | Use PC optimizing software like FortectIntego |
Designed by Search Engage Ltd, Search.gg browser hijacker is only made for one purpose: to generate revenue by displaying advertisements and rerouting users to sponsored websites. This activity artificially increases website stats, improving the website visit rate. Unfortunately, some redirects can bring users to unsafe sites, as developers do not take any responsibility for the third-party content:
You further acknowledge and agree that Search Engage shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any goods or services available on or through any external website, social network or resource. Your use of external websites or resources is at your own risk.
Although browser hijackers claim not to be using personal data[2] for market analysis, remember that your search queries might contain some details that can reveal your identity. If you do not want to share such details with suspicious companies such as Search Engage Ltd., never enter any sensitive details while your browser is taken over by Search.gg hijack.
Even tough the Search.gg virus redirects all searches to Yahoo (a perfectly legitimate search engine), the results might be covered in sponsored links. This makes finding relevant information a difficult task, esepcialy when the computer is running multiple potentially unwanted programs at the same time. Thus, simply remove Search.gg from your machine and use legitimate Yahoo or other legitimate search engine instead.
Beware that clicking on sponsored search results can take you to highly hazardous web pages and by visiting them you pose a threat to the computer system. In other words, Search.gg browser hijacker won’t do anything illegal on your computer and it won’t itself infect your computer with additional spyware/malware[3] programs, however, it might show you a path to websites that seek to do so.
That is the main reason why computer security experts[4] advise to perform Search.gg removal without any hesitations. You can eliminate the threat by following our instructions below this article, or by using malware removal tools. Additionally, we advise users to scan their machines with FortectIntego after the infection – it can fix broken registry entries or other corrupted files left behind by the unwanted program.
Prevent installation of potentially unwanted programs
Potentially unwanted programs cannot enter your computer system without your permission, which means that you have lately agreed to install some suspicious programs without realizing it. This suggests that you should be more careful when installing new software on your computer.
In fact, you can end up installing this highly vague search tool even when installing a completely safe-looking free program. For this reason, we suggest paying more attention to software installation settings and choosing the right ones. Instead of selecting Standard, Default or Express settings, better switch the selection to Custom or Advanced mode. Then you should see a list of suggested programs and then deselect the ones that you do not want to install. After unchecking all shady-looking programs, proceed to the next installation step.
Quick Search.gg removal solution
Before you start taking actions regarding Search.gg removal, we highly suggest reading the tutorial we provided first. The guide provided below the article explains how to find files that belong to Searchgg and successfully eliminate them.
In case you are not ready to waste your time on potentially unwanted programs, and you would rather do something else instead, command an anti-spyware software to remove Search.gg virus for you. If you do not have such software yet, check out suggestions provided below the post.
You may remove virus damage with a help of FortectIntego. SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner and Malwarebytes are recommended to detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.
Getting rid of Search.gg virus. Follow these steps
Uninstall from Windows
The first thing that you want to do is to check your computer for suspicious software that you recently installed. If you can find some programs that were added without your knowledge, uninstall them.
Instructions for Windows 10/8 machines:
- Enter Control Panel into Windows search box and hit Enter or click on the search result.
- Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.
- From the list, find the entry of the suspicious program.
- Right-click on the application and select Uninstall.
- If User Account Control shows up, click Yes.
- Wait till uninstallation process is complete and click OK.
If you are Windows 7/XP user, proceed with the following instructions:
- Click on Windows Start > Control Panel located on the right pane (if you are Windows XP user, click on Add/Remove Programs).
- In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.
- Pick the unwanted application by clicking on it once.
- At the top, click Uninstall/Change.
- In the confirmation prompt, pick Yes.
- Click OK once the removal process is finished.
Delete from macOS
Remove items from Applications folder:
- From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
- In the Applications folder, look for all related entries.
- Click on the app and drag it to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash)
To fully remove an unwanted app, you need to access Application Support, LaunchAgents, and LaunchDaemons folders and delete relevant files:
- Select Go > Go to Folder.
- Enter /Library/Application Support and click Go or press Enter.
- In the Application Support folder, look for any dubious entries and then delete them.
- Now enter /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders the same way and terminate all the related .plist files.
Remove from Microsoft Edge
Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:
- Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
- From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
- Click on Uninstall at the bottom.
Clear cookies and other browser data:
- Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Privacy & security.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Select everything (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.
Restore new tab and homepage settings:
- Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
- Then find On startup section.
- Click Disable if you found any suspicious domain.
Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:
- Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
- Select Details tab.
- Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.
If this solution failed to help you, you need to use an advanced Edge reset method. Note that you need to backup your data before proceeding.
- Find the following folder on your computer: C:\\Users\\%username%\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
- Press Ctrl + A on your keyboard to select all folders.
- Right-click on them and pick Delete
- Now right-click on the Start button and pick Windows PowerShell (Admin).
- When the new window opens, copy and paste the following command, and then press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\\AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose
Instructions for Chromium-based Edge
Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):
- Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
- Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and site data:
- Click on Menu and go to Settings.
- Select Privacy, search and services.
- Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
- Under Time range, pick All time.
- Select Clear now.
Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- On the left side, pick Reset settings.
- Select Restore settings to their default values.
- Confirm with Reset.
Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)
If Firefox was affected by the described browser hijacker, we suggest looking for its components in the browser and deleting them according to these instructions we prepared.
Remove dangerous extensions:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
- Select Add-ons.
- In here, select unwanted plugin and click Remove.
Reset the homepage:
- Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
- Choose Options.
- Under Home options, enter your preferred site that will open every time you newly open the Mozilla Firefox.
Clear cookies and site data:
- Click Menu and pick Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security section.
- Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
- Click on Clear Data…
- Select Cookies and Site Data, as well as Cached Web Content and press Clear.
Reset Mozilla Firefox
If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
- Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.
- Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox…
- Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.
Remove from Google Chrome
Delete every extension from Chrome that, in your opinion, shouldn't be on it. If it was added without your permission or knowledge, delete it without any hesitations.
Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
- In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all the suspicious plugins that might be related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.
Clear cache and web data from Chrome:
- Click on Menu and pick Settings.
- Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
- Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
Change your homepage:
- Click menu and choose Settings.
- Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
- Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.
Reset Google Chrome:
If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:
- Click on Menu and select Settings.
- In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
- Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
- Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
- Confirm with Reset settings.
Delete from Safari
Remove unwanted extensions from Safari:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- In the new window, pick Extensions.
- Select the unwanted extension and select Uninstall.
Clear cookies and other website data from Safari:
- Click Safari > Clear History…
- From the drop-down menu under Clear, pick all history.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Reset Safari if the above-mentioned steps did not help you:
- Click Safari > Preferences…
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Tick the Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- From the menu bar, click Develop, and then select Empty Caches.
After uninstalling this potentially unwanted program (PUP) and fixing each of your web browsers, we recommend you to scan your PC system with a reputable anti-spyware. This will help you to get rid of Search.gg registry traces and will also identify related parasites or possible malware infections on your computer. For that you can use our top-rated malware remover: FortectIntego, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner or Malwarebytes.
How to prevent from getting stealing programs
Access your website securely from any location
When you work on the domain, site, blog, or different project that requires constant management, content creation, or coding, you may need to connect to the server and content management service more often. The best solution for creating a tighter network could be a dedicated/fixed IP address.
If you make your IP address static and set to your device, you can connect to the CMS from any location and do not create any additional issues for the server or network manager that needs to monitor connections and activities. VPN software providers like Private Internet Access can help you with such settings and offer the option to control the online reputation and manage projects easily from any part of the world.
Recover files after data-affecting malware attacks
While much of the data can be accidentally deleted due to various reasons, malware is one of the main culprits that can cause loss of pictures, documents, videos, and other important files. More serious malware infections lead to significant data loss when your documents, system files, and images get encrypted. In particular, ransomware is is a type of malware that focuses on such functions, so your files become useless without an ability to access them.
Even though there is little to no possibility to recover after file-locking threats, some applications have features for data recovery in the system. In some cases, Data Recovery Pro can also help to recover at least some portion of your data after data-locking virus infection or general cyber infection.
If this free guide helped you and you are satisfied with our service, please consider making a donation to keep this service alive. Even a smallest amount will be appreciated.
- ^ Potentially Unwanted Application. Trend Micro. Security blog.
- ^ Michael Sweeney, Karolina Lubowicka. [UPDATE] What Is PII, non-PII, and Personal Data?. PIWIKpro.Analytics Platform.
- ^ James Wright. What Is the Difference Between Malware & Spyware?. IT Still Works. Just because it’s outdated doesn’t mean it’s broken.
- ^ DieViren. DieViren. Cybersecurity news and articles.